In February, Eddie Vanderdoes signed a Letter of Intent with Notre Dame as a high school senior at Auburn, California. However, Vanderdoes announced this week he will instead sign with UCLA to remain close to his family. Technically, because he never officially enrolled in South Bend, he wouldn't be subject to the NCAA rule that would require him to sit out a year. But he would have to, because he did sign a Letter of Intent with Notre Dame. The LOI is not required to play football, but the NCAA penalizes players who don't follow through: Vanderdoes not only has to sit out a year, he also loses that year of eligibility. Notre Dame could release him and allow him to play, especially as Vanderdoes listed family as his reason, but they are refusing to. Critics are pointing out coach Brian Kelly left Cincinnati to take the Notre Dame job before the end of what was an undefeated 2009 season (they lost their last game after he left), and had even told his players he would stay the week before.
So is Notre Dame giving Vanderdoes the screwjob? Or, are they in the right to not release him from his LOI?
Read Greg Doyel's column at
CBS Sports.
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